


Liven Me Up

by fanficbug



Category: South Park
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-04-08
Packaged: 2018-05-27 06:59:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6274384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanficbug/pseuds/fanficbug
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Craig leads an apathetic, ordinary life. Always the same, day in and day out, until a strange little blonde wanders into his life and livens things up. Highschool AU, Angst, Fluffy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Unusual Morning

**Author's Note:**

> This is story I started a few years ago. After the South Park episode that aired a few months ago it renewed my interest in the ship and I rewrote the fic and outlined a new direction for the plot. I do have the entire story mapped out, though not completely written. I sort of drifted off after writing a few chapters, but I'm hoping to finish it.
> 
> I'll be posting a chapter once a week, and trying to stay a few chapters ahead. I'm hoping that publishing this story will motivate me to complete it.
> 
> Warning ahead of time, I promise that in the event I should give up the story again I will post a final summary letting you guys know how the rest of the story played out.
> 
> Enjoy! Please leave a comment!

"Sup man?" Clyde asks as he climbs into Craig’s faded blue sedan, Craig blowing a wisp of smoke out the corner on his mouth.

"Nothing." he replies, as usual. "You?"

"Guess what I did last night?" He says, clearly eager to tell the results of his latest (probably made-up) sexual accomplishment.

Craig sighed and started towards Token's house to pick him up as Clyde continued on with their practically scripted conversation. It's almost the same every morning. Clyde asks 'what's up' to which Craig would say 'nothing' and then he would begin his lame story about who he fucked last night, and Craig would tune him out while he smoked. All nice and familiar.

Just as he's getting to the climax, literally, Craig pulled around the curve of Token's huge half circle driveway. He runs out to get in the car, backpack bouncing off his back. 

Craig absently wonders _“Why I'm the one who drives us to school each day. I mean Token is the rich guy, why don't we all ride in his brand new Prius Hybrid instead of taking my piece of shit car? He can afford the gas better than I can.”_  

As soon as the guy gets in the back seat Clyde restarts his story so Token can know, forcing Craig to hear it a second time, just like always. They drive to South Park High and pull into the lot. Craig is just about to pull into the usual spot when he slams on the breaks. Token and Clyde slam forward, their seat belts locking. Craig grips the steering wheel with white knuckles. 

 _“There is another car in my spot.”_ He thinks.

_“There is never another car in my spot, I have parked here for three years and never once has another person taken my space. Ever.”_

This is not normal.

"Dude, Craig! What the fuck?" Token bitches as Craig stares at the dark brown Honda that is currently in his parking space.

"There's a car in my spot." he said.

"So?" Clyde replies, confused. "Just park somewhere else." 

"I always park here." Craig argued. 

"Jesus, just find a different spot man!" Comes Token's aggravated voice from the back seat.

Slowly Craig put the car in reverse and drove around to find a different space. To anyone else, this wouldn't have been a big deal and it wasn't exactly. It just put him off. He’d always parked in the same place every day, but today someone else had taken that spot. But who? Craig pushed it from his mind as he ground his cigarette into the ash tray, pocketed his keys, and got out of the car. It was a stupid thing to dwell on, even if it was unusual.

Pulling his backpack higher onto his shoulder, Craig walked through the snow flurries with his two friends. Once inside the school, shaking off the snow they separated ways to go to their lockers. Quickly spinning the dial, Craig opened his locker and shoved his things inside. Glancing at his watch, he saw that he only had two minutes to get to class, rather than his usual seven. That damn Honda was already causing a domino effect of ruining his whole routine. He slammed the door and hurried off to English.

Craig slumped into his usual desk right as the bell rang. Mrs. Whatever began to write the notes on the board and the chatter in the room slowly died down as everyone opened their notebooks and began to copy them down. Several minutes into class the door slammed open to reveal the oddest boy most had ever seen. He was shortish, probably only a bit taller than five feet and one could see that he was disturbingly thin, despite the over-large sweatshirt he was wearing. On his head was medium length platinum blonde hair that stuck out everywhere, like he had never brushed it in his life. His face was a bit gaunt and he had dark, plum-colored circles under his wide, wide eyes, his eyes that were ridiculously green and moving across everyone erratically. Even from the back of the room Craig could see them and knew that they must be contacts because nobody had that bright of eyes. In his hands he held only one thin notebook and a large coffee thermos. To top all of these odd things about him off, he was shaking like mad and twitching all over the place.

He definitely had that whole heroin-chic, waifish look about him. This boy was weird. And it bothered Craig.

He handed a small slip of paper to the teacher and she directed him to a seat in the back… _“The seat right next to me.”_ Craig thought bitterly, biting the inside of his cheek as this strange newcomer sat down, mumbling to himself.

"Jesus, GAH!" Craig stared at him out of the corner of his eye as he opened his notebook. He stared at the blank page for a minute or so still muttering softly. "Ack, oh crap… Stupid, how c-could I have for-forgotten? Jesus, the PRESSURE." He glanced at Craig nervously and jumped when he saw that he was already looking back at him.

"C-can I borrow, GAH, a pen?" He asked trying to be quiet but failing, wringing his hands like he had just asked for a hundred bucks.

"No." Craig whispered back, staring at him more plainly now. Who the hell was he, to come here and be all… abnormal? He looked like a freaking lunatic as his huge eyes widened even more at the blunt statement.

 _“Christ his arms are thin as fuck.”_ Craig thought, looking at the boys arms which stuck out from his rolled up sleeves. Craig was 100% sure he could wrap his hand entirely around one.

"I only have one." He added so as not to seem rude, which was odd for Craig as he had never particularly cared if he was rude or not. If they had a problem, well… that was their problem.

“ _But I for some reason I felt like I had to explain myself to him. No, that was ridiculous. Why would I have to explain anything I did to this, this twitchy freak?”_  

"O-oh." He said back.

"What's your name?" Craig questioned, hoping the blonde spazz would reply back quietly so that the teacher wouldn’t notice their conversation. As much as he was annoying Craig with his weirdness, he was also fascinating him. 

"Tweek." He managed to get the one syllable out without stuttering.

"Tweek?" Craig repeated dryly. "What kind of name is that?"

"GAH! I-I dunno man! Jesus, pressure!" Craig watched as he gripped his unruly hair and tugged on it.

"Whatever." He grumbled and went back to notes. Craig didn't want anything to do with this spazzy kid; didn't want anything to do with something that wasn't normal or boring. For the rest of class Craig tried to ignore Tweek's semi-seizures and what not. This proved to be a difficult task as he constantly was talking to himself and moving around, but Craig just plastered his usual indifferent expression on and continued with his work, trying very hard to act like he didn't notice. 

With five minutes to go he packed up his things and began to watch the clock.

"H-hey." He said a bit louder than he had when he first talked to me. For a split second Craig thought about pretending not to have heard him, before he turned around and fixed his steely grey gaze on the newcomer.

Tweek waited for a second to see if Craig was going to reply, but soon realized he wasn't. "What's, GAH, your n-name?"

Craig considered him a moment longer before standing up to tower over him as he sat frozen in his desk watching with his huge eyes.

"Craig."

With that he turned was out the door the second the bell rang.

 

zZz

 

Craig grunted as he shut his locker and turned to walk to the cafeteria. So far Tweek hadn’t appeared in any more of his classes, but there was still more than half of the day to go. The kid put Craig off, leaving a squirmy feeling in his stomach of discomfort. He was just so strange and different from everyone else, with his weird twitches and how he talked to himself. Craig couldn't get him off of his mind.

He passed through the lunch line numbly, picking out his usual Tuesday meal. Chicken sandwich with baby carrots and milk. Every Tuesday, always the same. At least something today was normal. 

Craig threw himself down at the usual table where Token and several others were already sitting. At the other end of the table Kyle and Cartman were going at it like usual. He was mostly indifferent to that group, except for Cartman. Stan, Kyle, and Kenny he could put up with even as strange and scheming as they were, but Cartman was another story. That fat boy pissed Craig off to no end, ever since he had shipped him to Peru causing Craig to miss an entire months worth of Red Racer which his sister had not so kindly made sure to delete off the DVR. He was always coming up new ways to make money or get famous or get rid of Kyle and Craig hated it when he tried to bring him into it. At least once a week that jack ass would show up on his door step saying _'Craig, my man, what's happening? How are yoooou?'_ trying to get him in on another one of his plans. But it never worked, Craig always shot him down. Yet he still kept coming back; he still kept hoping Craig would fall for it again.

At that moment was when Clyde showed up, with you'll never guess who.

Tweek.

"Hey guys, I invited the new kid Tweek to sit with us!" He said, obviously pleased with himself for being nice to the new kid.

Our eyes locked as his shaking got more violent, almost knocking the food off his tray. Which Craig noticed only contained a small apple, some baby carrots, and another cup of coffee.

"ACK! I-I, um, I think I'll just… I'll um, you know s-sit somewh-where—" Clyde cut him off and pushed him down onto a seat, in what he probably meant to be a friendly manner.

"Nonsense Tweek, you'll sit with us." He said with that dopey grin of his. 

"Jesus Christ." He mumbled looking away from everyone. Clearly he didn't like to be the center of attention.

 _“I guess I make him uncomfortable.”_ Not that Craig really cared, he was making Craig uncomfortable too. All day his routine had been getting messed up and Tweek was one of the reasons why. And that jerk who took Craig’s parking space.

Clyde and Token began to chat as they tore into their food, yet Craig just picked apart his chicken sandwich. All the craziness from the day was ruining his appetite, and even his boring sandwich didn’t seem appealing anymore. He gazed intently at this petite teen that was making his day so unusual. He didn't join in the conversation, but instead just kept taking long gulps from his coffee as if the contents were some kind of necessary life juice. Occasionally he picked at the food on his tray, but not much made it to his mouth. 

Craig also noticed that his humongous sweatshirt had disappeared and the kid was now wearing only a grey button up, which the buttons had been done up crooked. How odd.

_“Probably can’t do them up straight with all that twitching, he ought to ask someone else to do it for him.”_

He looked up. "GAH! Quit st-staring at me man!" He half shrieked, a baby carrot he’d been nibbling went flying. Craig jumped up at the loudness, but no one else seemed to notice it. Guess they all already knew what a weirdo he was, and had learned to tune the random screeching out.

"I'm not." Craig refuted, gazing down into the mutilated chicken to make a point. He hadn’t realized he’d been staring.

"Y-you _were_ though!" He accused.

Slowly Craig looked back up at him. Once again the blonde froze as their eyes met, like a deer caught in headlights. There was no way his irises were real, they were so fucking green they were almost neon.

Clyde tossed an arm around Tweek's shoulders and laughed.

"Oh don't mind him Tweek. Craig is just a buzz kill sometimes." He joked. “He’s got about as much personality as dirt.”

"Yeah, he's just quiet. And sarcastic when he’s not." Token added with a chuckle. 

Craig flipped them both off. Once again frowning, Craig got up and left the table.

 

zZz

 

He frowned and pulled on his chullo hat, Clyde and Token coming up behind him.

The four of walked out of the school into the crisp afternoon, ready to go home. Craig walked slightly ahead of the others. Still in no mood to be social and besides, Tweek was still with them. Craig just wanted to get home as fast as possible so that this wretched, chaotic day could be over with.

"Where's your car man?" Token asked Tweek.

He raised a finger and pointed down the aisle a little ways. "J-just that one."

Craig looked over to where he had pointed, and almost stopped dead in his tracks.

It was the brown Honda that was in his spot.


	2. Courtyard Interaction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello you beautiful people. You get two chapters to start the story, as I will be on vacation next week in Disneyland. I'll try to post chapter 3 anyways next week, but no promises.

Craig sat up and leaned on an elbow to check the time on the clock. With a sigh he flumped back down on the bed. It was 2:40 A.M. and he was still unable to sleep. This was another different thing for him and Craig didn't like it. He always went to bed at ten and fell asleep within half an hour, but tonight his mind was too preoccupied to rest. Something about his day being disturbed, had messed up his internal clock making him unable to sleep.

 His mind was stuck on Tweek.

In one day this kid had completely screwed around with Craig’s routine and he’d be lying if he said that didn't bother him. It bothered him a lot, that one person had that much control so easily. A dinky spazz kid at that. Was his life really that simple to change?

 _“I mean honestly what had he done that put me off so much? Parked in my spot, causing me to be a little late? Talked to me in English class? Sat with my friends at lunch?”_ Craig wondered. _"No normal kid would give a fuck about this kind of stuff."_

In reality he had done very little and he knew that he was blowing this out of proportion. Yet Craig couldn't help it, even the smallest changes were vast for someone who had done virtually the same thing for years. Normally he just let this kind of shit go. 

Eventually, accepting the fact that he wouldn't be getting any sleep, Craig got up around 4 A.M. As he showered, getting ready as slowly as possible, Craig’s stomach twisted like it already knew that today wasn't going to be normal either. He pulled on a black t-shirt, then a thick, grey knit sweater.

By six he was ready despite trying to take longer, so he grabbed his backpack and keys to leave. It was still dark outside and much colder than yesterday. The January snow was still deep, and his breath swirled around. Climbing into his shitty blue car, his teeth were already chattering as Craig pulled down the strings of his hat. He jammed the key in the ignition and cranked the heater up to high, just sitting there a moment to soak up the warmth.

Once Craig felt like he could move without shuddering violently again he pulled out of the driveway and headed towards the Harbucks to get a coffee. Might as well since he was already out of the house and didn't feel like sitting at school for an hour and a half with nothing to eat or drink. A few minutes later, he was inside the quiet coffee shop. At the counter was a blonde woman who was eerily calm, sipping from a large cup. Craig walked up to her and cleared his throat. 

"What can I get for you?" She asked, setting her own cup aside.

"I'll have an extra large coffee, black. And three of the oatmeal cookies."

She raised a brow, but went off to make his order. He casually looked around the place as he waited. Aside from Craig and the cashier, the only other person in the place was some old guy with a newspaper. It was still a little too early for the morning rush. Most everything in South Park opened around eight or nine, with the exception of the high school at seven thirty. Suddenly Craig's thoughts were interrupted as she came back with his drink and cookies.

"That'll be $11.56, sir."

With an internal grumble about ridiculous coffee prices Craig pulled out his wallet and dug out a few bills and some change. She gave him change and he nodded at her before leaving.

Once back in the car, he set his drink aside and turned on the car. Driving slowly through the streets to the school, the sun was just barely starting to make the sky grey instead of black. The lot was practically empty, except for what were probably a few teacher’s cars. To Craig’s relief his parking space was untaken. By now it was slightly warmer, bearable to stay outside for awhile. So he grabbed his food and then headed over to one of the benches around the backside of the school. Dropping his bag on the ground, he sat, glad to have a few moment of boring peace before classes. He shot a quick group text to Token and Clyde, letting them know he wasn’t going to be picking them up this morning.

The sun hadn't risen completely, so it was still half darkness. He pulled out his vape, taking a long drag. He breathed out into the misty air, sending in more swirls of mist into the dark grey sky. The sky was always grey in South Park this time of year. He sighed contently before taking a sip of his coffee. For ten minutes Craig enjoyed the complete silence, the loneliness, and his vices. He’d never minded being lonely, actually it was quite the opposite. As a child Craig had never really craved the company of others and as he grew older that trait had only strengthened. Not that he didn't enjoy being around Clyde and Token, but they were really the only ones he bothered to hang around.

Then Craig heard a quiet muttering.

"GAH! So early… I-I'm such a freak. Jesus, n-no one comes t-to school this freaking early." Came the, what was now becoming familiar, muttering.

 _“Well not no-one.”_ Craig thought sarcastically.

He came around the corner of the brick building a few yards away from Craig, but appeared not to notice that him sitting there. His small body was shivering violently in a giant black sweatshirt, probably half from anxiety and half from cold. Craig noticed he was wearing strange little brown Indian shoes… _“Moccasins. That’s what they are.”_ Slung over his shoulder was a faded messenger bag that looked ridiculously full and had a few papers poking out. It probably weighed as much as he did. Just as yesterday his hair was a disaster and he had a large thermos. 

"Tweek." Craig called out in his typical monotone.

"JESUS CHRIST!" He screamed dropping his bag and accidentally throwing his cup several feet away. Craig watched as coffee started bleeding out on to the frosty concrete, and Tweek started shouted again.

"O-oh crap!" Hastily he picked up his mug and righted it, wiping the coffee off the sides with his sleeve. With a shaking hand he managed to get the lid off and look inside. His expression changed from shock to horror to sadness in a few seconds. Then he seemed to remember Craig was there.

"Wh-what was that -ACk- for?" He yelled indignantly.

Craig raised an eyebrow. The other teen was kind of pissed off, which surprised him a bit.

"I-uh…" Craig was at a momentary loss for words. As Tweek glared at him, he seemed to realize that he had yelled.

"O-oh shit man, I'm sorry! I, ACK, didn't mean to y-yell!" With his free hand he covered his face in fear.

"It's alright. Do you wanna sit?" Craig asked.

His eyes widened comically. "Jesus, too much pressure, c-could be a trap. He wants to lure me in to safety and t-then he's got scare the sh-shit outta me again and I'm gonna spill the rest, rest of my coffee! GAH! The pressure!"

He ranted for another minutes or so glancing back and forth between Craig and the spot next to him, while death gripping his thermos with very white hands.

"Sit." Craig said firmly. Obviously this kid had trouble making decisions and the only way to get him to do anything was to tell him what to do. "Now."

"AH, Okay!" Tweek said as he fumbled with his bag and then gingerly sat next to Craig.

Craig sat quietly, taking drag off his cigarette, and watching Tweek jitter about from the corner of his eye. Every now and then he would take a drink of what was left of his coffee, but he didn't speak except for the occasional stressed noise. The tapping of his foot seemed to reverberate through his whole body. Even his wild blonde hair waved around. He just couldn't hold still, it seemed impossible. 

"How much coffee do you drink a day?" Craig blurted suddenly.

He jumped a bit. "Wh-what?"

"How. Many. Cups. Of. Coffee. Do. You. Drink. A. Day?" He repeated slower. He frowned at Craig, like the slow enunciation was an insult.

"P-probably about twenty." He managed to say without much stutter. Craig’s eyes traced the pale skin of his face and collarbones, speckled with the dark brown moles. 

"Twenty?" He repeated in monotone, mildly surprised. That’s all this boy did, surprises after surprises. Nothing about him was predictable. He stared into bright green eyes which gazed back evenly despite the rest of his body quivering. His eyes were still that luminous jade that yesterday Craig had thought was fake. Now though, up close he realized that Tweek wasn't wearing contacts. They really were just naturally that green… maybe he had been subjected to radiation or something. That also might explain the other odd things about him.

"Um, wh-which… n-nevermind…"

"What?" Craig said.

"GAH, which eye d-do you f-focus on when you loo-look at me?"

What an odd question he mused. "I dunno, both?" He answered, most of his irritation with the other boy replaced by curiosity.

"N-no, that's not possible."

"Well I guess the left one then." Craig stated. "You?"

"M-me? I, um, I-I look back and forth between them. I can't, GAH, focus on o-one for very long."

Craig gazed at him for a moment longer before Tweek coughed and jerked his head to look away. Craig’s still didn’t look away, not seeing a reason why he should. His eyes were absorbing as much as he could about this strange boy, his mind outlining his sharp cheekbones, so sharp that they were engraving themselves into his memory.

 “Want a cookie?” Craig asked, absently thinking that the kid should probably eat, and held out one of the oatmeal ones he had bought that morning.

“ACK, NO!” Tweek screeched, panicked eyes looking at the cookie like it was poisonous. “I can’t- I don’t eat anything with ANIMAL STUFF in it!”

Craig kept on looking at him coolly. “So… you’re vegan?” He said. _“That would explain why he’s so damn skinny.”_ Craig thought.

“Y-yeah. You can never k-know what chemicals are in that stuff!”

Craig nodded, eyes still locked on Tweek’s. He’d never particularly cared what was in his food. Still didn’t really.

“Y-you know, you –NNG- look at people really int-tensly.” Tweek’s hand twitched as he shook his empty coffee thermos.

Just then the ten minute bell rang, letting them know that school would start soon.

 _“Christ had we really been out here that long?”_ Craig wondered.

He leapt up to leave but Craig reached out and grabbed his wrist, which was icy cold, before he could get away. _“So tiny..”_ he thought.

"Wait." Craig mumbled, face blank, letting go to pick up his coffee cup. He pulled off the plastic lid and then reached for Tweek’s hand that was holding his empty one. Slowly, with his fingers curled around the others, Craig dumped his almost full coffee into Tweek’s thermos. He just gaped at Craig.

"See you in English." Craig said, taking his leave.

As he walked towards the door he glanced back for a second to see that Tweak was still standing there looking frozen, looking tiny in his black sweater and clutching his thermos, wispy blonde hair the only thing twitching in the breeze.

 

zZz

 

Craig decided that he must have scared him off somehow.

After the coffee incident he had gone to class and waited. Craig thought that perhaps he was just late again, but he never showed up. All through English he kept glancing at the door, waiting for that blonde head to poke in. It never did. A part of Craig thought that it was quite irresponsible of him to cut class on his second day, but then he just shrugged it off.

In his next class, Chemistry, Craig brooded all period. All he had done was try to be nice to him, something he never did for anyone. Even though he annoyed Craig and had totally screwed up his day yesterday he had tried to have a conversation with him and had even given him his coffee, because it was sort of his fault that Tweek had spilled his. Only sort of his fault, if he wasn't such a paranoid spazz he probably would have just jumped instead of screeching and throwing his cup.

What really didn't make sense to Craig though wasn't that Tweek hadn't showed up, but that he was ticked off about it. He was always apathetic towards everything and this should be no different. Yet for some reason this guy sparked something in him. He annoyed Craig, made him angry, made him feel some freaking emotions – not that he ever let one cross his face - and that was what really bothered him. Craig had worked for years on this stone shield, on blocking his emotions and feelings out, creating an icy exterior with a monotone voice. All caring had ever done was cause trouble and now someone was chipping away Craig’s frozen barrier, thawing him out a just a bit. It was making him nervous.

_“Christ, get over yourself. So what, two days of your stupid routine were mildly messed up. You did one nice thing for a random kid. So what, you think your world is ending and you’re becoming some kind of softy? Fuck, just get over it pussy. This is literally nothing, why are you freaking out?”_

"Mr. Tucker?" Said the Chem teacher.

Craig ignored him, his blank face still turned towards the window.

"Mr. Tucker have you written this down?" he demanded.

Craig flipped him off. 

"Did you just flip me off?"

"No." He lied obviously, flipping him off again.

"That's it! Get out of this classroom now and go to the principal's office!" He shouted.

Craig grabbed his binder as the all eyes locked on him. He took his time walking down to the office, but not because he was scared. Craig got sent to the office at least twice a month for flipping people the bird. He would have being lying if he said he wasn't taking his time because Craig thought he might see Tweek in the halls, skipping another class.

Craig wanted to know why he had skipped English. Unfortunately though, Craig didn't see him and was soon in the front office waiting to see the vice principal. He sat on one of the plain blue chairs and tried to make himself comfortable. There was only one kid in front of him, since it was only second period and most people didn't get in trouble this early in the morning. 

"Frances Scott!"

The girl got up and walked into the office, closing the door behind her. Craig looked around the office impatiently. There was nothing interesting to look at, so he decided to take a short nap while he waited. He leaned his head back till it touched the wall and then closed his eyes. 

"Craig… CRAIG."

"Hm?" He murmured, opening my bleary eyes.

The receptionist gave him a disapproving look. "It's your turn."

"Oh, alright." You know you're in the office too much when the receptionist knows you by name.

Craig stood up and grabbed his stuff from the floor before he headed in the smaller office. He glanced at Mr. Macky and sat in one of the chairs across from the desk. He had been promoted from counselor to the high school's vice principal a few years ago. He still looked the same though, big bald head, tie too tight, said 'Mkay' a lot. Also still pretty lax.

"Mkay, Craig. Mr. Velasquez sent you down here saying that you flipped him off again? That true, Craig?" he asked straightening his glasses.

"Yeah." Craig replied dully.

"Mkay, Craig. You know we can't tolerate this flipping people off thing much longer, mkay?" His monotone was a lot like Craig’s. Craig wondered if it was intentional or if his voice just didn't carry that much emotion. Maybe he was just naturally monotone. 

"Okay." Craig said. 

"Mkay, you can go now. It's almost lunch so don't bother going back to class." 

Craig rolled his eyes and left the office quickly. The bell signaling that it was time for lunch rang just as he was opening his locker to put his books away. Quickly he slammed it shut and hurried to the cafeteria. He may have skipped English, but he probably didn't skip the whole day. 

As Craig stood in line for his usual Wednesday meal, spaghetti and a breadstick, he spotted Tweek sitting with Clyde and Token already.

He saw Craig as he walked up but quickly looked away and pretended not to.

"Hey guys." Craig said in a false cheery voice, sitting down right next to him, slamming his tray loudly.

They greeted Craig with an eye brow quirk at the clearly fake emotion, and then continued with their conversation about Halo.

"So." He turned to look at Tweek. 

"S-so." He said back, nervously sliding his fingers along his thermos.

"Why weren't you in English?" Craig said with cheery, threatening voice, leaning on an elbow and looking at the blonde. _“Why the fuck am I interrogating him about this?”_ Craig thought, feeling strangely out of character, like he wasn’t really controlling what he was doing. He felt a bit wild, doing something unusual, speaking without thinking first. 

"AH! You n-noticed?" he gripped his thermos so tight his knuckles began to pale.

"Yes. So, why?"

"Jesus! I-I… Too much pressure, AH!"

Craig stared at him blankly, feeling very hyper inside, his heart beating fast. _“Why the fuck am I acting like this?”_ He thought again.

"Were you avoiding me?" He asked bluntly, trying to keep his face expressionless.

His small jaw dropped.

"I'll take that as a yes." He said, dropping the cheer.

Craig turned to his spaghetti and began to eat, ignoring Tweek’s squawks and the strange adrenaline feeling he had in his stomach and head.

They didn't talk for the rest of the day after that. Craig didn't know what bothered him more, not knowing where Tweek was and knowing he was avoiding him or having him right next to him and still not saying a word.

 _“All this over basically nothing. Fuck, what the fuck was that Craig?”_ Maybe Tweek’s erraticness was going to rub off on him.

Two days of this weirdness was enough for Craig, from now on he was going to treat Tweek just like everyone else. No more of these fucking weird ass feelings. No exceptions.

Internally Craig layered cement between the strange squiggly-ness and curiosity, smoothed his face to it usual expressionlessness.

He was not going to let himself keep behaving so erratically.

Especially not for Tweek.


	3. Adjusting... Poorly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aghhh... yeah I suck at maintaining fics now a days. Here's another chapter.

All had been going well and normal. Well as normal as things could be with Tweek around now. Over the past two weeks Craig had done everything in his power to be completely apathetic towards him just like he was to anyone else. He didn't comment on the odd things Tweek did or said and he made as little eye contact as possible, avoiding the intense green.

To Tweek and everyone else Craig had just lost interest, just as quick as he had had it. He now treated him apathetically and flipped him off regularly just like the rest of the world. Plan 'Brick Wall' had worked excellently… on the outside.

Yet the inner workings of Craig’s mind were still turmoil, despite his efforts to quiet them. Craig’s insides usually were quite dull, just smooth wave lengths never missing a beat because everything was already predicted. Now his smooth rhythm had been disturbed and getting it back on track seemed impossible. 

The first few days had been especially hard because Tweek had apologized countless times and kept trying to make conversation with him. Every time he said he was sorry though Craig would grit his teeth and tell him he didn't care in monotone, trying to ignore the searing feeling in his stomach.

He saw him in the halls and would bite the inside of his cheek so he didn't smile at him, because Craig didn't smile at anyone. At lunch he could barely focus on what Craig and Token were saying because he was listening for Tweek's answer, but whenever he attempted to include Craig, he would remain silent and stoic to anything and everything said. Every time he had said anything Craig would have to grit his teeth so that he didn't say anything more than 'I don't care'. He had to hold himself back because for some fucking insane reason… He did care. He was insanely curious about this weirdo who had entered his life; wanted to know every fascinating detail about this stranger. While he still was relatively muted in emotion compared to everyone else ever, the fact that Craig was having any feelings at all was very strange.

When they sat next to each other in English on a Thursday two weeks later and he didn't even stutter out a greeting Craig knew he had succeeded. But the success was not an appreciated one. One side of Craig wanted to completely disregard Tweek, to wish that he never existed because now there was hardly any routine. What was left of it was very loose. He'd pick up Clyde and Token in the morning, then they would go to school and meet up with Tweek. Then class, then lunch where a few times they had sat outside in the chilly late January air instead of the regular table of three years. Then after school it was no longer straight home, they would _go do stuff_ and try to drag Craig along. His neatly maintained schedule had fallen to pieces and it wasn't going to be put back together any time soon, if even at all. 

The other side of Craig desperately wanted to throw this façade of dullness out the window. This kid seemed to be on the brink of insanity most of the time, he was crazy. He fascinated Craig like nothing else had before, his unpredictability almost like a weird drug. Craig wanted to find out everything about him because surely he was the most interesting person he had met in a long time, maybe his whole life.

But so far Craig hadn't asked him anything since those first two days; he had only listened to what others asked him. Just from eaves dropping Craig had learned that he had been drinking coffee from age seven and that his parents owned the Harbucks in South Park. He’d been home-schooled his whole life, and was only here for this last semester of senior year because of something weird in the school district rules. He learned that Tweek thought gnomes stole his underpants at night, and that it caused him to hardly ever sleep. He hardly ever ate, subsisting mostly on black coffee, and when he did he only ate fruit or vegetables, reminding Craig that Tweek had said he didn’t consume any animal products. Craig was fascinated by Tweek Tweak and it was driving him crazy.

Nothing had ever really interested Craig besides Red Racer or his guinea pig Stripe. He could never remember working this hard to be around someone, while trying to avoid them at the same time. While he kept a perfectly even front up, his usual monotone and icy, emotionless attitude as present as ever on the outside, he felt like his entire routine had been destroyed and his perfect balance along with it. Craig was usually a person who understood himself completely, but now all his thoughts confused him. Craig couldn't get a grip on himself and if he didn't do something he might explode soon.

 

zZz

 

Craig didn’t feel like looking at the twitchy blonde in his English class today.

He was behind the school, smoking since he was out of vapes again. The smoke curled in the early morning air, along with his frosty breath.

He was kind of getting tired of himself, not Tweek, if he was going to be honest though. He logically knew it would be easier to just accept Tweek into their friend group, accept that life may have to settle into a new pattern rather than resisting it so hard. Craig knew what he should be doing, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. He couldn’t make himself accept the change.

Besides, even if he accepted Tweek into their friend group, it didn’t change the unsettled feeling he had around him.

He heard a scuffle and he immediately dropped his cigarette, snuffing it under his shoe. No sense getting detention for skipping _and_ smoking on school grounds.

The scuffle was followed by a small squeak and Tweek walked around the corner.

Craig rolled his eyes. He should’ve just went to class.

“You late?” He said in his low monotone, and watched the Tweek jump about a mile into the air.

“Jesusfuckinchrist!” He said clutching his chest, which was covered by the same huge black sweatshirt he wore a lot.

 _“Why does this kid never wear a coat?”_ Craig wondered in a bitchy way. He felt his stomach jump as his eyes traced the blonde’s collarbones for the millionth time. The way he lingered on them made him feel sick, but also kind of hot.

“Sorry.” Craig mumbled, finally drawing his eyes away and lighting up another cigarette.

“I-it’s… Fine.” Tweek said back softly.

“You skipping or late?” Craig asked again, inhaling. Tweek’s eyes followed the smoke from his lips to the air. 

“Late.” Tweek said, fingering the strap of his messenger bag nervously. Craig noticed his thermos was in the side pocket, rather than his hands. “You?”

“Skipping.” Craig said. He noticed Tweek staring at his cigarette. He could have been staring at his month, but Craig tried not to wonder.

“You wanna smoke?” He asked, noticing that apparently, even though Tweek was late he wasn’t in all that much of a hurry now that he’d seen Craig. 

His little green eyes widened. “I’ve n-never smoked.” He said, shaking.

“It’s not good for you.” Craig said, flicking open his pack for another one.

“C-Could I-erm- just… try-it?” He said, pointing at the one in Craig’s mouth. 

Craig felt a bit traitorous to himself for even chatting the kid up this long. He’d been trying to avoid him and block him out since those first few days, but within a few minutes of being alone with him… Well it’s like Craig just forgot about all that.

He motioned for Tweek to come a bit closer, and the kid shuffled to within about a foot of Craig. Craig didn’t think he was going to come that close, but he imagined that Tweek could feel the heat emanating from him, those skinny little bones probably soaking it up.

Instead of handing him the cigarette, Craig took it and held it up to those pale pink lips – turning blue from the cold.

“Open, then inhale slowly.” He said, voice low and rough.

Tweek looked down at it, his eyes crossing a bit as he opened his mouth. He sucked in a breath from it. He tried to let it out smoothly, but then started coughing with a look of mild disgust.

Craig chuckled a bit. “That’s about what I did the first time too.”

Tweek looked up at him, his little nose twitching from the cold. _“He’s so damn cute.”_ Craig thought. Then back-pedaled. _“No, Tucker. He’s not ‘cute’. He’s a twitchy little freak, and not to mention a dude._  

Craig took another drag off his cigarette and offered it back to Tweek again, who hesitantly took another breath from it. Craig’s eyes were drawn back to those sharp collarbones, up his dainty white neck with moles, his lips wrapped around that little paper roll… Green eyes stealing his gaze and not shaking.

The bell signaling the end of first period rang.

“We’d probably better go to class.” Craig muttered, snuffing the cigarette under his shoe with the other.

 

 

zZz

 

It was Friday at lunch and Craig was sitting in his usual space, which now across from him sat Tweek. Clyde and Token were on either side of them and the three of them were holding a conversation. Craig wasn't paying much attention to them.

 He’d tried even harder to avoid the little blonde after their Tuesday morning smoke. He didn’t like the weird heat that curled in him every time he smoked, when it remind him of that strange little close moment. His thoughts would trail off, and he’d imagine those collarbones he liked so much and how he’d like to tug the collar of his sweater aside to see where they’d connect to his sharp shoulders…

 Then Tweek said something that caught his attention.

"GAH! Yeah, I'll c-come!" He said, the happiness in his voice clearly showing through. Obviously he was glad he was being invited to something.

 "Come where?" Craig asked, suddenly interested.

"To my house tomorrow for our Saturday sleepover. You were reminded too, but you just flipped me off when I mentioned it.” Clyde replied, slightly annoyed.

"Oh that." Craig shrugged. "Yeah I'll be there."

He went back to picking at his food, looking bored. He felt what was now becoming a familiar hyper sensation in his stomach at the thought. He somewhat dreaded the next day, but also was excited for it. There was no way he would be able to get away with ignoring Tweek at the sleepover the way he had been, especially after their weird little interaction.

 Craig contemplated what he was going to do as he stared at his food, hoping that perhaps it contained the answer.

 

zZz

 

Yesterday's tomorrow had become today and Craig knew he was doomed. The more Craig thought about spending an entire night with Tweek and acting normal, the more impossible it seemed. But he couldn't back out, his friends would definitely know something was up if he refused to come to their weekly sleepover that they had been having since they were ten. Craig was supposed to be there in half an hour and he already had his duffel bag packed. He sighed with frustration, running a hand through his messy black hair, and grabbed his bag, exiting the room.

"I'm spending the night at Clyde's, mom." Craig shouted, grabbing the handle of the front door. She flipped him off from her place on the couch and Craig returned the gesture before leaving.

It was about only about a half mile walk to get to Clyde's house so he didn't have much time to do any intense thinking on the way, thankfully. It was pretty nice out today for February, the sun was shining and the snow wasn't as deep as it usually was. It was still South Park though. So by the time Craig got to the house his sneakers were wet and cold. He knocked on the door furiously willing it to open. When it did he stomped inside past Clyde without a greeting. 

"Sheesh Craig, the least you could do is say hi before you tromp in and get snow all over the carpet!" He whined.

Craig decided to humor him. "Hi." Then went back to tromping as Clyde called it.

"Fuck you Craig." He grumbled, then headed back to the den where Token and Tweek already were. 

Once Craig had taken off his shoes and felt sufficiently drier, Craig followed him. He and Token were on the floor in front of the TV playing Xbox, while Tweek sat curled in a small ball on the end of the couch. He watched the game intently with wide eyes, not twitching as much as he usually was. Craig took a seat on the other end and took out his iPod to play Pac-man. 

It had been around twenty minutes or so when he noticed a small head much closer than it had originally been. The wild haired blonde was now more so in the middle of the couch and was watching Craig play his game, rather than the one on the television. He was on stage ten and Tweek was so engrossed that he wasn't even shaking anymore. Wanting to preserve the moment of stillness he was having, Craig played on. With every stage he passed, Tweek moved just a bit closer to get a better view.

Craig was on stage twenty eight when he noticed Tweek was right next to him, his shoulder occasionally brushing Craig’s. Craig almost dropped his iPod when Tweek closed the two inch gap between them and rested his chin on Craig’s shoulder. But luckily he didn't drop it, because that would have ended this… what was this? Friends didn't sit this close and Craig was fairly sure acquaintances didn't either. His heart was racing, and he didn’t understand why Tweek wasn’t twitching around like normal. Craig died for the first time during his game, right when he had decided not to bother labeling it. 

"Fuck." he muttered, starting the level over. Token looked back to check on them and his jaw dropped. He spun back around quickly and acted like he hadn't seen anything. For a moment Craig wondered what he thought this was? He chanced a glance at Tweek, who was still resting his head on his shoulder and still not twitching. Craig lost another life and then just decided to put down the game. He jerked away and looked up at me.

"Wh-why'd you stop playing?" He asked, his normal twitching starting back up.

"Cuz I was getting bored." Craig said flatly, his grey eyes focusing on Tweek’s. This was the first time Craig had spoken directly to him in days and his stomach was flip flopping all over the place. He had been so close to ignoring that little interaction.

Their faces were really close as they held this small conversation and Craig was hyper aware of it. He could see every shade of green in Tweek’s big eyes, could probably count his eyelashes, could definitely count every mole on his face and neck. His warm breath washed over Craig’s face, smelling of coffee. The blonde’s sharp little nose twitching like a bunny’s. Craig wondered what Tweek thought he smelled like.

"Dinner time boys! I bought pizza!" Yelled Clyde's mom from the kitchen.

Both Tweek and Craig jumped away from each other in our surprise. Craig suddenly remembered the other two guys on the floor. Clyde was blissfully oblivious to what had happened, groaning as his Halo player died, and Token seemed like he had some idea but was trying to push the image out of his mind.

"Okay, we're coming!" Clyde yelled as we all stood to go get something to eat.

I couldn't help but wonder what had transpired between Tweek and I. We had been so close, but it hadn't been close enough for me. What had I been hoping for? A hug? No, Craig Tucker did not hug people. He didn't like being close to people either. So why did I let it slide when he had laid his head on my shoulder?

All thoughts were purged from Craig’s mind as they sat down to eat, Tweek squealing as he asked Clyde to take the cheese and meat off his pizza.

 

zZz

 

Craig was roused from sleep as he heard someone moving around.

"GAH! Jesus Christ!" they mumbled, shuffling around and setting something back on a table.

He knew it was Tweek and his mind suddenly woke up some more. For a second I wondered why he wasn't asleep, but then I remembered that he had made some coffee and drank the it. Well, more than some. He had downed and entire pot. It made Craig wonder though, he had said that he drank almost twenty cups of coffee a day, and he already knew the kid was insomniatic from the ‘gnomes’. Did he not sleep at all? It was possible, and it might explain his wackiness. 

Craig squinted his eyes open for a second from his sleeping bag into the dark room to check and see that Clyde and Token were still resting peacefully. Then he closed them quickly again, pretending to be asleep. What did Tweek do in the middle of the night when no one else was awake?

"ACK, I'm s-so bored. I-I wonder if I c-could turn on the TV. N-NO! That'll probably wak-wake them up! So st-stupid…" Craig frowned slightly in his pseudo-sleep. Obviously whatever it was that he did at night, such as watch television, he couldn't do here because he thought he would wake them up. Not that he needed a TV for that. It was silent for a few minutes and all he could hear was Tweek humming some song.

"J-jesus. This is why they kept me home. Cuz I'm a, GAH, fu-fucking freak. This isn't real, I'm just c-confused." A pause as he hummed some more. "He w-wants nothing t-t-to do with me, was just being nice… Didn’t talk to you for weeks, t-that means he DOESN’T like you, dumb –ACK- ass!" The mumbles went on but they were quieter this time so Craig couldn't make out what he was saying. It seemed like he might have been having an argument with himself, and it seemed that it might be about Craig. 

Craig felt something poke him in the side. Then again. 

"Craig… C-craig. Wake up."

Craig rolled over 'sleepily' and looked at him. "Yes?" He said in his best tired voice.

"D-do you, oh Jesus Christ, n-nevermind!" His hands flew up to his hair and he pulled on it harshly.

Craig sat up and grabbed his wrists gently, then removed them from his head. "Don't do that, you'll pull out your hair."

"I-I have before…" He said, looking at Craig’s chest rather than his face. Craig was wearing a plain grey tee shirt and his blue plaid boxers. He noticed that he had on the same one’s as Tweek actually, but that they looked much larger on the small boy’s thighs than his. 

"I'm going back to sleep, you should sleep too." Craig turned away from him and lay back down on the blankets and tried to fall back asleep. He heard Tweek shuffle into his sleeping bag next to Craig’s, and Craig could sense him just inches away from his back.

He felt nervous at the question he had half asked.

_“Do I what? Do I hate him? Do I even like him? Do I want to hug him until he stops squirming and just sleeps for once?”_

By now Tweek had started humming again and it was making him sleepy. As Craig drifted off, Tweek spoke again.

“D-doyouhateme?” He whispered very fast.

“No.” Craig mumbled. 

“Do you like me?” He said even quieter.

Craig was silent for a moment. “Maybe.”


	4. A Beating for the New Kid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters, because realistically I should have already posted this. 
> 
> Sorry for being a jack-ass by giving you guys a schedule then not sticking to it. 
> 
> I've got finals, work, a wedding to plan, so I'm a little stressed to say the least. I'll still try to keep updating though.

Since the sleepover Craig continued his efforts to maintain his boring exterior and routines, but he made less efforts to exclude Tweek from this. During English he always made sure he had a spare pen for the twitching blonde. He chatted with him and the others at lunch, and listened to what he had to say rather than ignoring him. Every minute of interaction was feeding this strange, exuberant feeling he got whenever he was around Tweek. Craig could feel his icy veneer dripping away. He could see the looks his friends would give him when he quirked his lips at Tweek’s odd ramblings abut aliens and the government, instead of his normal blankness. 

Craig chalked it up to the fact that the quirky teen simply was influencing Craig to be a bit more laid back, maybe just compelling him to a bit more thoughtful. Even if it meant that his stomach squirmed when Tweek leaned a little too close when he asked to borrow that pen and that he felt feverish whenever he leaned around the blonde to help him open his locker, when his hands were shaking too much and he couldn’t even get out his conspiracies about why he couldn’t open his locker today and had to have Craig do it for him.

He’d even gone out to the mall with them after school, which had been surprisingly fun. Tweek had gotten an extra large coffee in the mall, and while they had been walking around one of the stores, something startled him, causing him to accidentally dump the coffee all over a rack of what were probably ridiculously expensive sweaters. They’d all had to run for their lives as the store associate chased them down. They were quicker though and made it outside, running around a corner. The four of them were laughing in the crisp air, out of breath at the encounter, even Tweek.

Craig remembered the look in his bright green eyes, twinkling with mischief; his small chest breathing heavily shaking with laughter for once rather than fear. He’d had to restrain himself from leaning forward and grabbing the smaller boy, cause Craig had wanted something then. He wanted a taste of that laughter, cause it seemed like it might be better than his own.

 

zZz

 

Craig was walking out of his math class, to the office, for flipping off Wendy. He couldn’t help that she was being an annoying know it all, correcting everyone.

Sauntering down the hall, he stopped and looked at his reflection in a glass display case. His shortish black hair was perpetually mussed, but in a cool way, not like Tweek’s crazy mop. He was rather boring looking, with neutral skin and grey eyes. He wondered if he was attractive.

Then he was pulled away from his vain thoughts which he heard a clang and a squeak down the next hall.

Craig turned and peered around the corner, seeing Tweek being held up against the lockers by Cartman, his feet kicking wildly, desperate to be back on the ground. His thermos was on the ground, leaking coffee.

“Such an itty bitty spazzy faggot!” Cartman sneered.

“P-PLEASE PUT ME DOWN.” Tweak yelled shrilly, gripping Cartman’s hands that were holding him up by the collar of his sweatshirt.

Cartman laughed and pushed him a bit higher up. “Lunch money, fag!” Tweek’s face was pale as a ghost as he scrambled, clearly too scared to let go of the hands holding him up, even if they were the same one’s tormenting him.

“HEY!” Craig shouted, rounding the corner. “Get the fuck off him fat-ass!”

Cartman dropped Tweek, and glared at Craig. “Aw, loooook, Craig to rescue his little boyfriend! How sweeeeet.”

“What the fuck dude, leave him alone!” Craig sneered, shoving Cartman a little. He wanted to pummel him into the ground.

Tweek was cowering behind his hands, making loud stressed sounds.

Cartman glared at Craig, his pudgy cheek’s flushed. “The fuck is it to you, Tucker? It’s not like you care!”

“Maybe I fuckin’ do!” Craig said, grabbing Tweek by the arm and pulling him to his side. “You can’t just fuckin’ pick on everyone smaller than you!”

“Fuck you Craig, and your faggy little friend.” Cartman said, and turned to leave.

Craig flipped him off, before turning to Tweek. Craig’s hands were shaking with rage, which startled him a little. He knew he hated Cartman, but Craig never usually got this mad. He wanted beat the shit out of Cartman for touching Tweek. Craig’s shakiness was nothing compared to Tweek, who was shaking like a leaf and white as the walls of the school.

“Are you going to be alright?” Craig asked, picking up the spilled thermos and putting it in Tweak’s bag, then putting his hands on Tweek’s shoulders. _“Christ I can feel his bones through his sweatshirt.”_ He thought.

Tweek looked at him with wide eyes, then his face crumpled. _“Ah, fuck fuck fuck.”_ Craig thought. _“He’s going to cry, fuck.”_ He cupped the back of his neck and pulled him towards him, hugging the little blonde and holding his head against his chest. He knew Tweek was short but he hadn’t realized that he was the perfect height for Craig to rest his chin on top of his fluffy head.

Tweek didn’t actually cry though. He just clenched his fists into Craig’s shirt and hyperventilated erratically. Craig felt strange, he had never really comforted anyone before and he didn’t really know what to do. As Tweek panicked, hiding his face in Craig’s chest, Craig smoothed Tweek’s hair and rubbed down his back. His anger faded and was replaced by a strange giddy feeling at having the blonde in his arms, but also feeling slightly guilty for enjoying it when Tweek so very clearly was still freaking out.

“Hey.” He said evenly, putting his hands around Tweek’s arms and pushing him back a little. “Calm down. I’ll make sure no one fucks with you, okay?”

Tweek’s jumpiness calmed slightly, and he nodded.

“I’ll walk you back to class, okay?” Craig said, remembering that he was supposed to be somewhere as well.

Tweek nodded again, clearly still too scared to speak.

Craig put his hand on Tweek’s shoulder and guided him back to his History class, before he realized he hadn’t asked Tweek what class he was supposed to be in. He just knew.

Tweek didn’t remark on it though, turning back to Craig.

“Th-thank you for –NNG- saving me.” He said quietly.

“No problem.” Craig replied. Looking at Tweek’s striking green eyes he felt bad for the small blonde. Being picked on by Cartman sucked. “Do you, uh.. Do you want to come over this afternoon and hang out?” Craig asked, keeping his voice flat, but feeling sheepish. 

Tweek’s eyes widened. “Sure.”

Craig nodded. “Just follow me in your car after school, okay?” 

Tweek nodded, his face flushing for some reason.

Craig’s stomach flopped. “I’ll see you later.”

He headed to the principal’s office, wondering how to explain his lateness too now, along with having flipped off Wendy.

 

zZz

 

As Craig pulled in front of his house, he glanced in his rearview mirror at the brown Honda that parked behind him. He could see the blonde spazzing in his seat, and Craig smiled internally.

He was pretty sure that Tweek had almost rear-ended him several times on the drive home, after dropping off Token and Clyde. It should have bothered him, but his car was a total piece of shit, so if Tweek had dinged it, Craig honestly probably wouldn’t have cared much.

He stepped out of the car, reaching for his cigarette. Taking a drag he walked over to Tweek’s car and knocked on the window. The smaller boy looked like he made a squeaking sound, but Craig couldn’t hear it through the glass. Tweek rolled down the window nervously.

“You comin’ in?” Craig asked, taking a drag and making sure to blow the mist away from Tweak.

“NNG.” Tweek didn’t reply, but he rolled up the window and got out of the car. He followed Craig into the house, and into the kitchen all while tugging on his sleeves nervously. Craig noticed that he was wearing a navy blue button up today, and that all the buttons were actually buttoned correctly.

“Do you want something to eat?” Craig asked, opening the cupboard and pulling out a bag of Doritos. He flicked on the coffee pot as well, to which Tweek’s eyes lit up slightly. 

Tweek shrugged. “Do y-you –ack- have anything—“

“Vegan?” Craig asked. Tweek nodded. Craig thought a moment. He knew that they didn’t have any fruit or veggies in the house right now, cause his mom had just asked him this morning if he wanted anything since she was grocery shopping tonight. He glanced back in the pantry and grabbed some boxes, reading the ingredient labels.

“ _Can’t have the Doritos, there’s cheese… Looks like the popcorn’s out too, it’s got butter… Oreos?”_

“These don’t have any dairy products listed.” Craig said, handing the unopened package to Tweek. “Which is mildly disturbing, but it’s something for you to eat.” 

Tweek gave him a small smile, and opened the package, shoving cookie into his mouth whole. Craig smiled back a little, then grabbed Tweek’s thermos to fill it up for him. 

“Let’s go up to my room and watch Netflix.” He said, handing the thermos back and walking past Tweek out of the kitchen and up the stairs. He heard the other boy behind him as he opened his bedroom door. He grabbed his laptop off his desk and flopped onto his bed. 

Tweek stood in the door, nervously picking at the Oreo package.

“Come on.” Craig said, patting the blue plaid comforter next to him. 

Tweek scuttled over and curled up on the edge of the bed taking a deep gulp of coffee and nibbling another cookie.

Craig grabbed Tweek around the bicep, wondering at how his hand fit around it entirely, and hauled him up to lean against the wall with Craig.

“What do you want to watch?” Craig asked, turning the laptop toward Tweak so that he could see. The only thing Craig ever really watched was Red Racer, and things that Token or Clyde picked out; so he figured rather than subjecting Tweek to that he would let him pick.

“Ack, um, pressure… AH.” He shifted around glancing at the computer and Craig. “Y-you p-pick!”

Or not.

“Okay.” Craig said, shoving some chips into his mouth. He clicked on some random top rated documentary about killer whales.

“KILLER whales?!” Tweek screeched.

“Well they’re really called orcas.” Craig said flatly. Tweek shuddered but didn’t complain again.

Rather than watch the documentary, he watched Tweek watch it from the corner of his eye. He’d only eaten the two Oreos before setting the package aside and hugging his knees. Craig couldn’t stop watching the way that his long white fingers ran nervously along his shins, or the way his hair bounced whenever he randomly twitched. Craig studied his collarbones, he had seven moles on his neck and collar bones.

 _“He really ought to eat more…”_ Craig thought. He liked that Tweek was skinny, probably something about it made Craig want to protect him like he had earlier, but it also perturbed him slightly. Tweek was probably _too skinny_. He knew Tweek drank way too much coffee everyday and hardly slept, combined with the fact that Craig never saw him eat more than two bites of anything it wasn’t really a wonder how the kid was so wacked out all the time. He was probably losing his marbles from a combination of sleep deprivation and starvation.

About fifteen minutes into the documentary, Craig moved his hand to rest of Tweek’s knee, which was folded up near his shoulder.

Tweek looked at him, then fervently looked away, focusing on the screen like he hadn’t noticed. Craig could feel him vibrating. Slowly, he rubbed his thumb, trying to calm the other down a bit. He knew he probably shouldn’t.. but-- 

“How much do you weigh?” Craig asked.

Tweek’s head shot round to look at him, staring for a moment before answering. “NNG. I don’t—know.” He confessed. He looked at his hands. “We’re n-not allowed to have a scale in the –ACK- house anym-more... WHY? D-do you think I’m FAT?” He asked, panicked.

“No.” Craig said flatly. “Opposite. You’re too skinny.”

Tweek looked at him suspiciously, then looked back to the movie, his hands running down his legs again.

Craig thought for a moment. _“Not ‘allowed’?”_ Craig slowly came to the conclusion that along with his intense anxiety, Tweek must have some sort of eating disorder.

After a few minutes of silence, Craig said offhandedly, “You should probably eat some more of those.” Pointing at the Oreos. “You didn’t really eat at lunch today.”

Tweek’s eyes narrowed a bit, his eyebrows furrowing. “Why d-do you care?”

Craig stared at him with his stony grey eyes. Even though he didn’t know much, he knew he was treading on thin ice here and if he said the wrong thing it could be very bad. He reached his hand up to run his fingers though that blonde mop and smoothed it back, something he’d been dying to do.

“Because you’re my friend.” He said, finally.

Tweek’s quivering stopped for a moment, then he shuddered when Craig pulled his hand away.

Giving Craig a careful look, he picked another Oreo out of the bag and ate it. 

Craig nodded approvingly, and pretended to resume watching the documentary that he hadn’t paid any attention to at all.

And if Tweek had rested his head on Craig’s shoulder while he ate, well Craig didn’t mind.


End file.
